Howard gained a reputation as an accomplished bear hunter. He sold bear meat to Flagstaff butcher shops. He also was a trapper and raised horses and mules. The widow, Margaret James, married him briefly but apparently didn't like being the wife...

The Jordan brothers each built irrigation systems; George's included this large waterwheel. Walter researched the design and George patterned the wheel from a picture in a catalog. The overshot wheel, 20 feet in diameter, was powered by ditch...

The Owenbys arrived from Texas in 1893 to homestead along the west side of Oak Creek, where the bridge crosses today. Their first filing was found to be in error so they had to re-file. They were the first in Sedona to 'patent' their homestead...

The Jordan orchards would eventually boast over 1,500 fruit trees. During World War II, Walter had a contract with the government to ship apples to our troops. He made 8 trips to Phoenix to deliver the order for 1,000 boxes, driving all night to...

When Juan Nuanez's American citizenship was questioned, he sent for his father-in-law, Manual Chavez, to take the place Juan had been homesteading along Oak Creek. Chavez lost his rights to homestead again after he gave Nuanez's land back to him,...

This was not the common way to harvest fruit. More likely, Ira was in the neighborhood and took advantage of his elevated position from atop his horse. A canvas bag over their shoulders allowed workers to have both hands free for picking. The...

The Dumas family moved next door to the Schuermans in 1905. They grew peaches, apples, apricots, plums and blackberries in addition to large gardens. David and Margaret Dumas were known throughout the valley for their warm hospitality,...

Fruit from the Schuerman place, among others, was selected by fair organizers to make up this incredible display at the Yavapai County Fair. Note the photos of Courthouse Rock (now referred to as Cathedral Rock). Red Rock fruit and vegetable...

Juan Armijo was a friend of the Chavez family who came to Oak Creek to homestead. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace at the Red Rock precinct and performed marriages, among other tasks. His son, Ambrosio, also homesteaded in Red Rock when he...

Before their fruit trees produced, the Jordans grew carrots planted between the rows of immature fruit trees. Carrots were loaded on a Model A and 12 hours later the carrots would be in Phoenix where Ruth went directly to restaurants and hotels to...

Orcharding required work in the field year round. Pruning was one of Walter's specialties. When the pruning was done, there was spraying for pests, spreading fertilizer, monitoring the weather for moisture and killing frost, smudging, caring for...

After settling in the canyon, Jim wrote to the Abraham James family, who he had met at the Colorado River. Knowing they had a 'marriage age' daughter, he invited them to leave Nevada and join him in Arizona. After the James family moved to the...

Oak Creek orchardists used smudge pots to protect fruit from frost. The pots/heaters were brought to the field on a sled. At Walter Jordan's place, the sled was pulled by a caterpillar tractor. Once placed, the dampers were opened and cleaned,...

The apple sorting machine in Walter's fruit packing shed was state of the art in 1948. It was not uncommon for it to run 8+ hours per day during harvest, stopping only for the packers to catch up when their bins became too full. Peaches were...

The smooth concrete floor of Walter's new packing shed was popular with all the kids in town for roller skating. How disappointed they were when harvest time arrived and their skating rink was filled with boxes and workers.

In 1924, Joe Farley learned his old homestead was for sale, so he and Sarah moved back with their daughter, Minnie, and her husband, Will C. Steele. They split the purchased property, with the creek as the dividing line. The Steeles developed a...

Many orchards are still visible in photos, especially aerial photos of Sedona, into the 1970s. But the influx of retirees in that decade brought a transition from an agriculture-based economy to one of development and tourism. Walter and Ruth...

Unfortunately, Heinrich (Henry) Schuerman found out that what the previous owners occupied wasn't exactly what they owned due to a bad survey. Henry ended up buying some land from the railroad to straighten out the boundaries. He had settled...

The Thompson family consisted of seven sons and two daughters. All nine of the siblings lived to adulthood, which was unusual in those days. The youngest child was 6 years old when Jim died and Maggie was left to raise her large family alone.

Neighbors were few and far between in those earliest days of settlement. The Munds homesteaded in Spring Creek and he moved his cattle to the mountain in the summer. This rare chance for these 'neighbors' to be together was commemorated with a...